Soak the bread in the water for 5 minutes, then vigorously squeeze it dry with your hands. With a large mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon, mash the bread until smooth. Then add the tarama, 1 teaspoon at a time, mashing and stirring constantly. Beat in the lemon juice and the grated onion and continue mashing until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and, with a whisk or a rotary or electric beater, beat in the oil, 1 tablespoon at a time; make sure each tablespoon is absorbed before adding more. When about 1/2 cup of oil has been beaten in, the mixture should be creamy and smooth. Pour in more oil in a slow, thin stream, beating constantly until the taramosalata is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in a spoon. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate until ready to use. (Taramosalata will thicken further as it chills.) Serve as part of a platter of appetizers (meze) accompanied, if you like, by cubes of fresh bread for dipping.

Note: A less authentic, but quicker, way to make taramosalata is to soak and squeeze the bread dry and combine it with the tarama in the jar of an electric blender. Blend at medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Without stopping the blender, remove the cover and add the lemon juice and onion. Still blending, pour in up to 1 cup of oil in a slow, thin stream, adding as much of it as you need to give the taramosalata its proper consistency. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate before using.

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